The DeSanto/Singer Battlestar Galactica revival effort generated a lot of comment and discussion as it got underway.  The internet discussion sites buzzed with rumors, only some of them based on fact.

One such speculative rumor was that the DeSanto/Singer production would be a remake of the pilot, Saga of a Star World.  That rumor had been fueled by a report (later confirmed by Mr. DeSanto) that the studio and network weren’t interested in recalling the original series actors to reprise their roles, along with pre-production/conceptual art and models being created, a few of those images made public.

However, as Tom DeSanto told us:

“Well, for me it was never a question of a remake – it was always going to be a continuation. It was really about how far we were going to set it in the future and whether it was going to be a continuation a la Star Trek: The Next Generation, where everyone in the past was dead but were referenced, and you might have Bones show up in the first episode but that was it. I think when Bryan saw the fanbase out there he started to become convinced that it could be set 25 years later, which I think was the best way to take the show.”

It is probable, then, that these concepts were under consideration as elements of their continuation tale but, as should be expected, little about the story was made public during the production’s life. 

But in Oct 2003, at the 25th Anniversary celebration of Battlestar Galactica held at Galacticon in LA, Tom DeSanto revealed much of the final intended storyline in his panel presentation, and then a bit more through private meetings and a number of personal conversations. Our Erik Matthews was there.

And then, several years later, a copy of a preliminary script found its way into our hands; this draft, dated 10/22/01, was written by Billy Brown and Dan Angel (the team behind “Space: Above and Beyond“). While not a “shooting” script, it was apparently written late enough in the production process that the lion’s share of the story and how it would have unfolded was there. So, between Mr. DeSanto’s presentation and conversations, and this script, we’re able to piece together the story fairly completely.

(Editorial Note: It’s important to keep in mind that this was not a final draft shooting script, so elements in it may or may not have actually made it on screen. But we think it would have been pretty close.)

SYNOPSIS:

We open with a view of a forbidding, rocky terrain, and two geologists in pressure suits collecting samples. They don’t know it, but they’re being observed, and the observer is clearly malevolent, stalking them, emitting a red light…

The camera pans upward and outward to take in the surrounding space, we see ships moving across the sky, and we see a pair of asteroids, linked with gravitational stabilizers and surrounded by huge mirrors, with a mining operation on the smaller and a large dome on the greater – that is the colony of New Caprica.

The story really starts when the camera takes us through the dome and into a classroom full of excited 7-year-olds. Their teacher, Leda, is the daughter of the current Commander of the Battlestar Galactica, Orin – or, as he was known in his youth, Boxey – who is there to speak to the children about their history, and how they came to be living in this asteroid field. During this conversation – which bounced around into different areas, as it would with a bunch of 7-year-olds – we establish that the planet Earth is still mythical (and not everyone believes in it), that 25 years previously the Cylons disappeared (and some evidence suggests they started fighting amongst themselves), and this asteroid is loaded with valuable minerals and water, so they stopped and built a new home for themselves, abandoning the search for Earth.

Pre-production artwork of Colonial schoolhouse

At this point, two things happen: the Geologist and his assistant are killed by violence, and one of the little girls in the class has what appears to be an epileptic fit, but as she writhes about, she says something incomprehensible to her observers. Something mystical…

The story is set roughly 35 years after the events of “The Hand of God.” Orin (aka Boxey) is around 45, and has three children: Leda (25), Ash (23) and Elias (20). Leda is the teacher, Ash and Elias are fighter pilots, Elias being the less responsible of the two and given to partying at the wrong times; there was also a training incident where he performed an illegal maneuver that another, trainee pilot then tried, and that pilot died in the attempt, for which Elias was punished. Elias is largely contemptuous of authority, particularly that of his elder brother. Adding to their tension is Raina, also a hotshot pilot, who Elias is carrying a quiet torch for, as she’s Ash’s intended… And the torch might be reciprocated, at least to some extent. There was, apparently, one night…

Another major character in this story is the Colonial President, Mara. A contemporary of Orin’s and a childhood friend of Orin’s wife, Nivea, Mara is a capable – and entirely ruthless – politician. And with the Battlestar’s budget in the way of her vision for the colony, she’ll stoop to blackmail to get Orin to agree to shut down the Galactica.

President Mara’s Ship

And we’re introduced to another character who plays an important supporting role in the story with a particularly on-point visual: we see a match struck, the flare quickly settling into a flame. The camera follows that flame as it’s raised to the end of a fumarello (cigar). The view widens to reveal that the fumarello belongs to the Galactica’s second in command – Colonel Starbuck. We eventually learn that Raina is his daughter.

Boomer is also a Colonel – the Galactica’s Chief Flight Engineer.

And it looks like they’re going to decommission the Galactica.

Pre-production Painting of Galactica Bridge

While this is going on, we learn that Leda is romantically involved in a political activist trying to unionize the miners, most of whom live in deplorable conditions. Ash and Raina are going to “set the date,” much to Elias’ hidden dismay. Elias announces that he’s not going to re-enlist, causing friction among his family, particularly with his father. He’s then confronted by Ash, and they challenge each other to see who’s the best pilot (if Ash wins Elias stays in the service, if Elias wins, Ash leaves it), so they take their Vipers out on an unauthorized run. And when Elias gets the better of him, Ash reacts in anger and inadvertently disables both ships, and they crash.

At this point we learn of Mara’s blackmail (after all, it’s been 25 years since we last saw the Cylons, and you don’t want Elias’ past to muddy your waters, do you?), and that – in secret – a new Viper had been developed. “Black Squadron” – the Scorpion Viper – was to be the backbone of the new Colonial defense, once the Galactica was shut down.

And that the little girl with the prophetic moments, Astraea, is having these fits more and more often, and more and more publicly…

There’s a lot going on at this point in the story – the important part being Ash and Elias discover the Cylons are observing them, and are about to attack. In that moment there is clarity between the brothers, and Elias matures markedly, admitting he was jealous of Ash’s relationship with Raina. There’s also a confrontation over the prophet child, and Orin and his wife are worried about their missing sons.

What they don’t know is that the Cylon attack force is launching. Elias has only barely managed to get away in Ash’s damaged Viper…

The ceremony is in full swing, speeches are being made, the Galactica about to be switched off – when Elias’ garbled signal is finally received by Galactica’s bridge. His warning isn’t believed at first, but Colonel Starbuck quickly does, and goes to full alert, almost too late. And it is, largely, too late – the attack breaches most of Galactica’s gun ports with surgical precision, and a missile pierces the colony’s dome, destroying the facility the ceremony is being held in.

Orin survives, but his wife doesn’t. President Mara also survives, and witnesses Orin’s quiet grief when he finds Nimea’s body, and the ongoing battle in space; this is shattering to her.

But Galactica was able to launch Vipers, which helps, but they are hopelessly outnumbered. It’s only a matter of time, perhaps only moments, before Galactica – and the colony of New Caprica – are utterly destroyed.

And that’s when the Cylon attack force withdraws. And waits. And as the Colonial authorities are assessing the situation, the Cylons hail them. The Cylons tell them they can avoid complete annihilation if they surrender and follow the Cylons to a rendezvous point, where they will be taken to Planet Cylon to serve the Second Dynasty of the Cylon Empire. In other words, as slaves.

The Colonials have little choice. The Galactica is all but inoperative defensively, they are hopelessly outnumbered… So, they evacuate New Caprica and when the Cylons transmit the rendezvous coordinates, they set out – very slowly – at docking speed.

Because Orin and his crew have not been idle. A plan has been made, a do-or-die, last-ditch attempt to save themselves from slavery. Two of the new Scorpion Vipers – which have escape pods – are outfitted with explosives from Galactica’s damaged weapons systems; when the Base Star is in the right position, these Vipers will be released to destroy one of the gravity stabilizers on New Caprica, throwing the New Caprica asteroid directly into the Base Star’s path, too quickly for them to react. Elias and Raina pilot the two special fighters.

During the battle, Ash joins the fight in a captured Cylon Raider, and saves Raina from attacking Cylons. But it is almost for naught, because Raina’s payload isn’t jettisoned properly, and it takes a precise laser blast from Elias’s ship to separate the explosives, which hit their target.

New Caprica impacts the Base Star – and both are destroyed. The surviving Raiders withdraw, their source of fuel and ammunition gone, their only course of action to try to drift home…

And the Colonials are, once again, on the run – and seeking Earth.

But Ash may be compromised…

The film closes with a shadowy eavesdropping of a Cylon strategy session, assessing the defeat. They admit to underestimating Orin and human resilience. As we watch and listen, we realize that these Cylons have human faces – but this scene is best described by Tom DeSanto himself:

“In the final shot, you go through the clouds, and you actually see the Cylon planet for the first time. It’s this massive, mechanized society, and you go in through the ‘Chamber of Rule’ as we called it. You hear these voices talking, and you come across wave after wave of Cylons. Then you come through the shadows and you see human faces and the last face you see was Richard Hatch. It was Apollo, and as you push in on his face, in the middle of his pupil you saw a little red Cylon eye.”

END SYNOPSIS

In his Galacticon presentation and subsequent conversations, Mr. DeSanto provided a lot of additional information about his vision for this revival. For example, he stated that in all likelihood Starbuck’s daughter would have been renamed; “Raina” would have had a different name in the final production. And that “Cy,” Starbuck’s Cylon companion from the Galactica 1980 final episode “The Return of Starbuck,” would have been a minor recurring character had the pilot had gone to series.

DeSanto and his team developed 3-year and 5-year story arcs for the series. In addition, Mr. DeSanto shared that he had been contacted by Jane “Serina” Seymour offering to appear, should the production be picked up (she would have been a Being of Light, and would have been instrumental in returning Apollo from the Cylon influence).

He also provided us with the “backstory;” the critical information about what had happened over the previous 35 years that did not appear in this “pilot” script, information that would have been introduced had this been picked up for series; the “backstory” is as interesting (and promising) as any of the rest of it.

BACKSTORY

About two years after the events depicted in Battlestar Galactica: “The Hand of God”, the Galactica has reunited with the Battlestar Pegasus, which had survived the encounter with the Cylon Baseships at the end of the episode “The Living Legend.” Sheba, Bojay, and the rest of the Pegasus personnel who had been on Galactica returned to crew the Pegasus, which was still under the command of The Living Legend himself, Cain.

The Cylons, however, were still pursuing, and the Colonials soon faced the greatest Cylon challenge since the destruction of the Colonies; the confrontation between the two battlestars and the Cylon forces was a winner-take-all slugfest, an epic space battle.

The cost of this battle was high. While they were successful in driving off the Cylons, the Pegasus was lost – disappeared – with all hands, including Cain, Sheba, and Bojay (and maybe – maybe – Cassiopeia).  And when the conflict ended, Apollo was missing in action, his fate unknown.

The search for Earth then continued, for another 10 years. With their ancient enemy nowhere to be found, the people grew increasingly weary of their seemingly endless journey.

Then the fleet stumbled across a huge asteroid field containing an abundance of natural resources. Faced with the prospect of continuing their flight in the face of this abundance, the people voted to stop running and settle.  Having been lulled into a sense of security after driving the Cylons back, they sought a new life in this far away place; it wasn’t the promised land of Earth, but most felt it was good enough.

Over the next 23 years, the settlers built a rich new culture, centered around their principal colony, New Caprica. Unfortunately, they quickly fell into old habits, engaging in pleasure, food, drink, and gambling, their social strata becoming more pronounced; the rich got richer, the poor got poorer. They turned from the more cautious ways of the previous generation, rejecting the culture based on war and survival for a culture based on comfort and privilege; in the words of Tom DeSanto himself, “as if the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land stopped and built Las Vegas.”

But during this time, the Cylons had not been idle. While the Colonials were occupied building their new society, the Cylons were themselves undergoing significant changes. The result of these changes was a new and deadlier Cylon race, with new, task-specific Centurion models (FYI, we base this assumption on pre-production images that show three distinctly different designs). And, the “new order” of Cylons started implanting devices in humans to enslave them, rather than eradicating them.

Which brings us to the events as depicted in the synopsis above.

Editorial Note: At this point, fan theories (and fanfic) abound, and are hotly debated. Did the Cylons engage in a civil war, or didn’t they? Did Baltar, in fact, get exiled to a planet after HOG, to be “rescued” by the Cylons? Are the Cylons really “Borgifying” humans, like Apollo? Here is what we know, based on all available information:

The script suggests that the Cylons did, in fact, fight amongst themselves – for what reasons only the Cylons know. We also know that the Cylons have been implanting devices in humans to ensure their compliance; we have Tom DeSanto’s own description of the final scene to confirm that. But the Cylon “thought process” behind any of this is a mystery, and was not addressed either in the script or in Mr. DeSanto’s presentations.

Baltar – it makes perfect sense to include humanity’s greatest traitor in a continuation, and based on comments made by Mr. DeSanto, he would have been. Baltar would be the first human to undergo the implant process, bending him to their will, paving the way for the Cylons to enslave rather than eradicate the human race.

Personal Note: There were aspects of the script and backstory that I, personally, found questionable; for example, I thought the script’s foreshadowing of the imminent Cylon attack to be a bit heavy-handed, and the blackmail of Orin lacked subtlety (or, really much imagination). The deep dive into messianic prophecy was problematic for me, too, as it didn’t seem to advance the story; I can only assume Astraea’s metaphysical situation would have been part of a following series, had this production progressed. And the prevalent use of “years” instead of “yahrens” by anyone writing Battlestar Galactica is an automatic red flag for me – albeit a minor one.

However, remembering that this was not a final draft shooting script, we know there was ample room for changes prior to actual production, and inputs from actors and directors as they’re shooting often take more mediocre aspects of a script and elevate them into something better. Of course, we’ll never know how it would have turned out in the end, so anything we say about it now is pure speculation on our part. Wishful thinking.

But even if it had been shot as written, this script would have been so much better than what we ultimately got…

Written by John Pickard, with Erik Matthews

The Tombs of Kobol extends our profound thanks to Erik Matthews, Russell Sanders, David Kerin, and especially Mr. Tom DeSanto for providing the information and images contained in this section.